Duration 3

CRUISING THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN

Discover cultural and natural riches with five days in Osaka and Tokyo and eight days aboard your yacht exploring coastal villages, countryside and more

TRAVEL STYLE

Marine

START

Osaka

FINISH

Tokyo

TRIP CODE

CTLOTRS119

COUNTRIES

2

Number of countries visited

DAYS

14

Duration of the trip

PACE

2

Pace level 2: Light

$

PRICE

Inquire about a price

Miyajima-Itsukushima Shrine

Photo

The Black Castle

Photo

Kagoshima

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Nagasaki Peace Park

Photo

Itinerary

CRUISING THE LAND OF THE RISING SUNTrip Code: CTLOTRS119

Overview

About this Trip

Operator: Tauck

Countries: Japan

Min/Max: 1-264 passengers

Style: Marine (Small Ship Cruising)

Duration: 14 days

Pace: 2 (Light)

Price: Inquire about a price

Ship(s): L'Austral

Osaka

Osaka / Kyoto

Osaka / Nara

Osaka / Embark Osaka

Uno Ko

Hiroshima

Uwajima

Kagoshima

Nagasaki

1/2 Day at Sea / Busan, South Korea

Sakaiminato

Disembark Maizuru

Tokyo

Depart Tokyo

Arrive Osaka

Day 1

Northbound tour begins: St. Regis Osaka, The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka or Conrad Osaka. A transfer is included from Osaka's Kansai International Airport or Itami Airport to St. Regis Osaka; The Ritz Carlton, Osaka; or Conrad Osaka. Depart your hotel for a Tauck Exclusive evening, including a welcome reception followed by a Geiko / Geisha cultural lecture and performance and a welcome dinner.

Dinner

Temples and Traditions of Kyoto

Day 2

Immerse yourself today in the loveliness of classic Kyoto, city of 2,000 temples and shrines. Like a divine dream, the Zen Golden Pavilion, bathed in gold leaf and capped by a golden phoenix, sits in a landscape design meticulously preserved since the 1400's, with a strategically placed pond that reflects the shimmering temple. Next, visit the Sanjusagen-do, a Buddhist temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama District - officially called "Rengeo-in" ("Hall of the Lotus King"). After lunch at a local restaurant, attend a traditional Japanese taiko drumming experience and explore more of Kyoto before returning to your hotel in Osaka. (Please note that sightseeing on days 2 and 3 may alternate.)

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Exploring Historic Nara

Day 3

Head to the city of Nara this morning to visit Todai-ji (Eastern Great Temple), a Buddhist temple complex that was once once of the city's powerful Seven Great Temples. Its Great Buddha Hall houses the world's largest bronze of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese as Daibutsu. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit Nara Park at the foot of Mount Wakakusa; established in the 14th century, it is one of the oldest public parks in Japan and is considered a national treasure. Return to your Osaka hotel for an evening spent as you please.

Breakfast, and Lunch

Osaka / Embark Ship

Day 4

Begin the day with a visit to Osaka's impressive Umeda Sky Building, one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. After lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy a walking tour of the Dotumburi district, taking in the famous illuminated billboards, video screens, and mechanized signs along the boardwalk. After some free time, embark your yacht at port of Oskaka. Your ship begins cruising along the southwestern coast of Honshu, the largest island in the Japanese archipelago, bound for Uno Ko.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Art, Bicycling & Beer in Uno Ko

Day 5

Anchor in Uno Ko and travel to the merchant town of Kurashiki for a walking tour of its picturesque historic quarter. Visit the Ohara Museum of Art, home of a great collection of Western art, including works by Matisse, Monet, and Pollock. After lunch onboard ship, you have a choice of activities. One possibility is to take a ferry to the unique island of Naoshima, which is devoted to art installations and the work or architect Tadao Ando; wander through the Art Houses Project, the Ando Museum, and the Benesse House Museum. Alternatively, take a bicycle ride through Uno Ko, or visit Kirin Yokohama Beer Village for a tour and tasting. Enjoy your captain's welcome dinner tonight as you sail for Hiroshima.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Hiroshima & The Peace Memorial

Day 6

Arrive in Hiroshima this morning and visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and sites associated with the WWII atomic bomb blast. After lunch at a local restaurant, you can visit the iconic Miyajima-Itsukushima Shrine that seems to float on water (a photographer's dream); or tour the local Mazda factory. Sail on the Uwajima tonight.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Pearls and Squirrels in Uwajima

Day 7

Enjoy a rare chance to spend a morning in a rural Japanese community. Visit a pearl farm, stroll through a market, and check out the Flying Squirrel Temple on a tour led by a Buddhist monk. The squirrels fly only at night!

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Samurai & More in Kagoshima

Day 8

Called the "Naples of Japan" for its location on a bay, Kagoshima lies on the southwestern tip of Kyushi. In nearby Chiran, wander the well-preserved samurai district's Chiran Samurai Gardens, and stop in at the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots. This afternoon you can ferry across the bay to see the volcano Sakurajima up close, or in Kagoshima visit the Sengan-en Garden, a traditional Japanese garden and stately home in the same family for 350 years.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

A Day in Nagasaki

Day 9

Arrive in Nagasaki for a day of historic sights: the Nagasaki Peace Park, filled with notable monuments and memorials, and the Atomic Bomb Museum. After lunch onboard the ship, you have a choice. Either visit the Dejima Museum and Glover Garden, an al fresco museum memoralizing the Europeans who settled in Nagasaki in the late 19th century; or take the Nagasaki Ropeway up Mount Inasa.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Bustling Busan, South Korea

Day 10

Cross the Strait of Korea to Busan, South Korea, this morning. In Busan, sightseeing includes the United Nations Memorial Cemetery, honoring troops from many nations who fell during the Korean War. For a sense of daily life, visit the port city's famous Jagalchi Fish Market, known for its mind-boggling array of fruits of the sea, and the strong personalities of the sturdy ajummas (married or middle-aged women) who work there.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Sakaiminato & Matsue's Black Castle

Day 11

Your yacht arrives in Sakaiminato, for a visit to the Adachi Museum. After lunch, either explore Sakaiminato on your own or head to Matsue, called "the water city" for its river, visit Black Castle, which presides over the city in solemn majesty. Tonight say goodbye to captain and crew of L'Austral at the captain's farewell dinner.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Bullet Train to Tokyo - and Ginza

Day 12

Disembark in Maizuru and take a scenic drive to Kyoto to catch the bullet train to Tokyo. Settle in at your premier hotel in the heart of the city before your guide leads a walk to the luxury shopping district of Ginza.

Breakfast and Lunch

Journey Home

Day 12

Tour ends: Tokyo. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Mandarin Tokyo, Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo or Palace Hotel Tokyo to Narita International Airport or Haneda Airport. Allow at least three hours for flight check-in.